On returning to his birthplace in the Scottish Highlands, Alec DunBarton expected to … see his family, visit local attractions, enjoy traditional fare, and marry his sweetheart.

He didn’t anticipate that a killer would disturb those plans.

From the moment Alec set eyes upon Ian Griffin, he knew there would be trouble. The man bore an extraordinary resemblance to Henry VIII and had the poor manners to match. Griffin had been invited to the annual conference of the Caledonian Writer’s Association to critique the work of its members. As the busy weekend gets underway, Alec is none too surprised to discover that the literary agent’s egotistical head has been severed from his portly body.

Any one of the CWA committee members could have beheaded him. Was it:

Edward Coleman, the sophisticated history professor

Skye Duncan, the Highlands’ “Lady of Mystery”

Robbie MacGregor, the hotel’s executive chef

Hattie Boyle, the dowdy whisky-distillery manager

Tim O’Reilly, the adulterous American travel writer or

Luann O’Reilly, his wealthy browbeaten wife?

Alec soon discovers that murder is the least of his problems. His mother, a constant reminder of his painful past and the biggest obstacle to his plans to marry Paige Anderson has caused Alec to ask himself—